27-4-2024 KANHA, INDIA - PANTROPICAL HUNTSMAN SPIDER (Heteropoda venatoria)

Heteropoda venatoria is a species of spider in the family Sparassidae, the huntsman spiders. It is native to the tropical regions of the world, and it is present in some subtropical areas as an introduced species. Its common names include giant crab spider, pantropical huntsman spider or cane spider.

 The adult has a flat, brown body 2 to 2.5 cm (0.8 to 1 inch) long, 7 to 10 cm (3 to 4 inches) wide, including the legs. The female may be slightly larger than the male, particularly in the abdomen, but the male has longer legs and larger tips on its pedipalps. The clypeus, the area just in front of the eyes, is cream or yellowish, and the carapace behind the eyes has a wide band which is usually tan in the female and cream in the male. The body is not very hairy, but the legs have erectile setae, each of which is marked with a black dot.

27-4-2024 KANHA, INDIA - INDIAN ROLLER (Coracias benghalensis)

The Indian roller (Coracias benghalensis) is a colorful bird best known for its aerobatic displays of males during the breeding season. It is often seen perched along roadside trees and wires and is commonly seen in open grassland and scrub forest habitats. The largest population occurs in India, and several states in India have chosen it as their state bird.

The Indian roller is a bulky and broad-winged bird with a large head short neck and legs. The bare skin around the eyes is dull orange, and the legs and feet are yellow-brown. The bill is tinged with brown at the base. The iris is grey-brown. The plumage on the forehead, chin and lores are pinkish buff, the ear coverts are darker red-brown with pale cream or pinkish streaks, while the throat is a dull wine-red with narrow cream streaks. The crown and nape are a darker dull turquoise. The back and rump are bright turquoise, and the belly is pale blue. The tail coverts are dark purple-blue with turquoise tips. The middle two tail feathers are greyish blue-olive with black shafts, while the surrounding tail feathers are an intense purple-blue with a broad pale blue band and greenish tinge towards the tips. The flight feathers on the wings have the same purple-blue colour of those on the tail, with a similar pale blue band across the most distal five or six primaries. The underwing coverts and axillary feathers are pale blue, while the upperwing coverts are a dull green-blue. The primary coverts are pale blue with olive or purple-blue tips, and the lesser coverts are purple-blue along the leading edge of the wing. The colours look dull when the bird is perched but become vibrant in flight. Moulting commences anywhere from mid-June to mid-August and concludes between November and the beginning of March. Adult males and females are similar in appearance and there are no seasonal changes. Juvenile birds are duller, paler and browner in colour, with a dull green crown and dull green-blue belly tinged with buff. The bill is brown with a yellowish base rather than black.

5-5-2024 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - LARGE PSAMMODROMUS LIZARD (Psammodromus algirus)

Psammodromus algirus is found in Algeria, France, Gibraltar, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, and Tunisia.

The natural habitats of P. algirus are temperate forests, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, sandy shores, arable land, pastureland, plantations, and rural gardens.

27-4-2024 KANHA, INDIA - INDIAN VULTURE (Gyps indicus)

The Indian vulture (Gyps indicus) is an Old World vulture native to Asia. This species has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2002 because its population severely declined.

The Indian vulture is a medium-sized and bulky scavenger. Its body and covert feathers are pale, its flight feathers are darker. Its wings are broad and its tail feathers short. The head and neck are almost bald, and its bill is rather long. Females of this species are smaller than males.

Indian vultures are native to India, Pakistan, and Nepal. They are usually found in savannas and other open habitats around villages, cities, and near cultivated areas.

Indian vultures are social birds that often congregate in flocks. They are active during the day spending most of their time soaring over open areas looking for carcasses to gorge on. Indian vultures do not migrate but they may fly up to 100 km in a day when searching for food. They are generally silent, but when these vultures gather in groups around carcasses, they produce various grunts and hisses.

27-4-2024 KANHA, INDIA - CHITAL (MALE) (Axis axis)

The Axis deer (Axis axis) is a deer species native to the Indian subcontinent. It was first described and given a binomial name by German naturalist Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben in 1777.

The Axis deer is a beautiful mammal with a spotted body and short tail. Both males and females have markings on their bodies; the markings are white, running in rows along the length of their bodies. The body of Axis deer is bright golden brown in color while the head is a bit lighter shade of the same color. Around their eyes, they have stripes of fur that are paler in color. Males have black spots on their faces and three tines on each of their magnificent antlers. These deer have a dark stripe, running along the length of their back and bordered by a row of spots. The outer parts of their legs are light brown in color while the underparts can be both white and creamy. The Axis deer has a white spot on its throat, which is more noticeable in males. In addition, the tail of the Axis deer has a white underpart.

Most of the Axis deer population is concentrated in the forests of India. The major area of their distribution is Sri Lanka and India, though they are introduced to USA and Australia as well. They live in dense forests, forested valleys and also prefer open grasslands, savannas, and plantations.

Axis deer are highly sociable animals. Their herds can contain 6-30 individuals, two or three of them being stags. Adult females with their fawns from the present and previous years usually form matriarchal herds. On the other hand, males live in a hierarchical system with larger and older males dominating smaller and younger ones. The Axis deer are always on the alert, in anticipation of a sudden appearance of a predator. The period of these animals’ highest activity is morning and late afternoon. In the heat of the day the Axis deer usually rest under the shadow. When the weather is hot, they tend to remain near water, drinking in the mornings and evenings. Axis deer are vocal animals and give out bellows and alarm barks. Males may moan during aggressive displays or while resting. Mainly females and juveniles bark persistently when alarmed or if they encounter a predator. Fawns in search of their mother often squeal.

27-4-2024 KANHA, INDIA - NORTHERN PLAINS GREY LANGUR (JUVENILE) (Semnopithecus entellus)

The northern plains gray langur (Semnopithecus entellus ), also known as the sacred langur, Bengal sacred langur and Hanuman langur, is a species of primate in the family Cercopithecidae.

The fur of adults is mostly light colored, with darker fur on the back and limbs, and the face, ears, hands and feet are all black. Infants are brown. Body size excluding tail ranges from 45.1 cm (17.8 in) to 78.4 cm (30.9 in) long, and the tail length is between 80.3 cm (31.6 in) and 111.8 cm (44.0 in). Adult males weigh between 16.9 kg (37 lb) and 19.5 kg (43 lb) while adult females weigh between 9.5 kg (21 lb) and 16.1 kg (35 lb).

The range of the northern plains gray langur covers a large portion of India south of the Himalayas south to the Tapti River and the Krishna River.It is thought to have been introduced to western Bangladesh by Hindu pilgrims on the bank of the Jalangi River.

The northern plains gray langur is diurnal, and is both terrestrial and arboreal. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. Females groom members of both sexes but males do not groom others.

The northern plains gray langur can live in several different types of groups. It can live in groups of multiple males and females, one male and multiple females or multiple males with no females, and males can also live alone without a group. Single male groups are most common. Group size can exceed 100 monkeys. Upon reaching maturity, males typically emigrate from their natal group while females typically remain. Young adult females are typically dominant over older females. When a new male takes over a group it may engage in infanticide of young fathered by the previous male or males, but this is less common when the takeover occurs slowly over several months.

The northern plains gray langur eats primarily fruits and leaves. It is able to survive on mature leaves, which is a key to its ability to survive throughout the dry season. It also eats seeds, flowers, buds, bark and insects, including caterpillars. It is also fed fruits and vegetables by humans, and some groups get a substantial portion of their diets from food provided by temples and from raiding crops.

Groups that have access to abundant food year-round, for example those that are provisioned by temples or are able to raid crops year-round, also breed throughout the year. Other groups, such as those living in forests, typically give birth between December and May. The gestation period is about 200 days. Females other than the mother alloparent the infant for the first month of its life. Weaning occurs at about 1 year and males reach maturity at about 6 to 7 year old.

The northern plains gray langur often associates with chital deer. Both species respond to each other's alarm calls. The chital seem to benefit from the vigilance of male langurs watching for predators in the trees, while the langurs seem to benefit from the chital's better senses of smell and hearing. It also has been observed engaging in grooming sessions with rhesus macaques.

27-4-2024 KANHA, INDIA - NORTHERN PLAINS GREY LANGUR (Semnopithecus entellus)

The northern plains gray langur (Semnopithecus entellus ), also known as the sacred langur, Bengal sacred langur and Hanuman langur, is a species of primate in the family Cercopithecidae.

The fur of adults is mostly light colored, with darker fur on the back and limbs, and the face, ears, hands and feet are all black. Infants are brown. Body size excluding tail ranges from 45.1 cm (17.8 in) to 78.4 cm (30.9 in) long, and the tail length is between 80.3 cm (31.6 in) and 111.8 cm (44.0 in). Adult males weigh between 16.9 kg (37 lb) and 19.5 kg (43 lb) while adult females weigh between 9.5 kg (21 lb) and 16.1 kg (35 lb).

The range of the northern plains gray langur covers a large portion of India south of the Himalayas south to the Tapti River and the Krishna River.It is thought to have been introduced to western Bangladesh by Hindu pilgrims on the bank of the Jalangi River.

The northern plains gray langur is diurnal, and is both terrestrial and arboreal. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. Females groom members of both sexes but males do not groom others.

The northern plains gray langur can live in several different types of groups. It can live in groups of multiple males and females, one male and multiple females or multiple males with no females, and males can also live alone without a group. Single male groups are most common. Group size can exceed 100 monkeys. Upon reaching maturity, males typically emigrate from their natal group while females typically remain. Young adult females are typically dominant over older females. When a new male takes over a group it may engage in infanticide of young fathered by the previous male or males, but this is less common when the takeover occurs slowly over several months.

The northern plains gray langur eats primarily fruits and leaves. It is able to survive on mature leaves, which is a key to its ability to survive throughout the dry season. It also eats seeds, flowers, buds, bark and insects, including caterpillars. It is also fed fruits and vegetables by humans, and some groups get a substantial portion of their diets from food provided by temples and from raiding crops.

Groups that have access to abundant food year-round, for example those that are provisioned by temples or are able to raid crops year-round, also breed throughout the year. Other groups, such as those living in forests, typically give birth between December and May. The gestation period is about 200 days. Females other than the mother alloparent the infant for the first month of its life. Weaning occurs at about 1 year and males reach maturity at about 6 to 7 year old.

The northern plains gray langur often associates with chital deer. Both species respond to each other's alarm calls. The chital seem to benefit from the vigilance of male langurs watching for predators in the trees, while the langurs seem to benefit from the chital's better senses of smell and hearing. It also has been observed engaging in grooming sessions with rhesus macaques.

27-4-2024 KANHA, INDIA - INDIAN PEAFOWL (MALE) (Pavo cristatus)

The Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus) is a brightly-colored bird that lives mainly on the ground. Its loud calls make it easy to detect, and in forest areas often indicates the presence of a predator such as a tiger. The bird is celebrated in Hindu and Greek mythology and is the national bird of India.

The male Indian peafowl (peacock) is brightly colored, with a predominantly blue fan-like crest of spatula-tipped wire-like feathers, and is best known for the long train (tail) made up of elongated upper-tail covert feathers which bear colorful eyespots. These stiff feathers are raised into a fan and quivered in a display during courtship. Despite the length and size of these covert feathers, peacocks are still capable of flight. Females (peahens) lack the train and have a greenish lower neck and duller brown plumage. Downy chicks are pale buff with a dark brown mark on the nape that connects with the eyes. Young males look like the females but their wings are chestnut colored.

Indian peafowl are resident breeders across the Indian subcontinent and inhabit the drier lowland areas of Sri Lanka. They are found in moist and dry-deciduous forests near water, in montane forests, and can also adapt to live in cultivated regions and around human habitations.

27-4-2024 KANHA, INDIA - LARGE BILLED CROW (Corvus macrorhynchos)

The large-billed crow (Corvus macrorhynchos ), formerly referred to widely as the jungle crow, is a widespread Asian species of crow. It is very adaptable and is able to survive on a wide range of food sources, making it capable of colonizing new areas, due to which it is often considered a nuisance, especially on islands. It has a large bill, which is the source of its scientific name macrorhynchos (Ancient Greek for "large beak") and it is sometimes known by the common name thick-billed crow. It can also be mistaken for a common raven. Johann Georg Wagler first described the species from a holotype obtained from Java in the year 1827. The eastern jungle crow and Indian jungle crow were once considered conspecific and together called the jungle crow.

The overall size (length: 46–59 cm; 18–23 in.). Wingspan is (100-130 cm; 39-51  in.). Body proportions vary regionally. In the far northeast in Japan, the Kuriles and the Sakhalin peninsula, it is somewhat larger than the carrion crow. All taxa have a relatively long bill with the upper one quite thick and arched, making it look heavy and almost raven-like. Generally, all taxa have dark greyish plumage from the back of the head, neck, shoulders and lower body. Their wings, tail, face, and throat are glossy black. The depth of the grey shading varies across its range.

27-4-2024 KANHA, INDIA - LESSER ADJUTANT (Leptoptilos javanicus)

The lesser adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus ) is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. Like other members of its genus, it has a bare neck and head. It is however more closely associated with wetland habitats where it is solitary and is less likely to scavenge than the related greater adjutant. It is a widespread species found from India through Southeast Asia to Java.

A large stork with an upright stance, a bare head and neck without a pendant pouch, it has a length of 87–93 cm (34–37 in) (outstretched from bill-to-tail measurement), weighs from 4 to 5.71 kg (8.8 to 12.6 lb) and stands about 110–120 cm (43–47 in) tall. The only confusable species is the greater adjutant, but this species is generally smaller and has a straight upper bill edge (culmen), measuring 25.8–30.8 cm (10.2–12.1 in) in length, with a paler base and appears slightly trimmer and less hunch-backed. 

The skullcap is paler and the upper plumage is uniformly dark, appearing almost all black. The nearly naked head and neck have a few scattered hair-like feathers. The upper shank or tibia is grey rather than pink, the tarsus measures 22.5–26.8 cm (8.9–10.6 in). The belly and undertail are white. Juveniles are a duller version of the adult but have more feathers on the nape. During the breeding season, the face is reddish and the neck is orange. The larger median wing coverts are tipped with copper spots and the inner secondary coverts and tertials have narrow white edging. The wing chord measures 57.5–66 cm (22.6–26.0 in) in length. Like others in the genus, they retract their necks in flight. In flight, the folded neck can appear like the pouch of the greater adjutant. Males and females appear similar in plumage but males tend to be larger and heavier billed. 

4-5-2024 RIO SERPIS GANDIA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN SERIN (MALE) (Serinus serinus)

The European serin, or simply the serin (Serinus serinus ), is the smallest European species of the family of finches (Fringillidae) and is closely related to the Atlantic canary. Its diet consists mainly of a combination of buds and seeds.

The European serin is a small short-tailed bird, 11–12 cm in length. The upper parts are dark-streaked greyish green, with a yellow rump. The yellow breast and white belly are also heavily streaked. The male has a brighter yellow face and breast, yellow wing bars and yellow tail sides. The song of this bird is a buzzing trill, very familiar in Mediterranean countries.

It breeds across southern and central Europe and North Africa. Southern and Atlantic coast populations are largely resident, but the northern breeders migrate further south in Europe for the winter. Open woodland and cultivation, often with some conifers, is favoured for breeding. It builds its nest in a shrub or tree, laying 3–5 eggs. It forms flocks outside the breeding season, sometimes mixed with other finches.

The food is mainly seeds, and, in the breeding season, insects. This small serin is an active and often conspicuous bird.

4-5-2024 GANDIA, VALENCIA - BANDED GARDEN SPIDER (Argiope trifasciata)

Argiope trifasciata (the banded garden spider or banded orb weaving spider) is a species of spider native to North and South America, but now found around the world. It can be found in certain areas of Europe, namely the Iberian Peninsula, the Canary Islands, and Madeira. The similar looking Argiope bruennichi is common in the Azores. They typically begin to appear during autumn from early September to late October as temperatures start dropping. In Egypt, the type locality of this spider, females were found surviving the relatively warm winter months.

Their webs can reach a diameter of about 60 cm. The length of the web depends on the size of the spider. Webs are capable of reaching a total length of two meters.

 In Illinois, Argiope trifasciata hatches in early summer but does not become readily notable until mid-August, when they have grown large enough to make their distinctive webs, which can be up to 60 cm (24 in) in diameter, among stems and bushes. The female rests at the centre of the web facing downwards, with her legs often arranged in pairs, making a cross shape; some female spiders conceal themselves in a hidden location close to the web, being alerted to a potential victim by a non-sticky thread leading to the center. Some segments of the web often have thicker threads known as stabilimenta forming a decorative pattern. Male spiders are much smaller than females and have their own small webs in close proximity to the females' webs. Argiope trifasciata is diurnal, and feeds on the insects that get snared in the web. Large, powerful prey like paper wasps, are swiftly wrapped in silk to immobilise them, before being injected with toxic saliva.

27-4-2024 KANHA, INDIA - ORIENTAL MAGPIE ROBIN (Copsychus saularis)

The Oriental magpie-robin (Copsychus saularis ) is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but now considered an Old World flycatcher. These birds are particularly well known for their songs and were once popular as cagebirds.

The Oriental magpie-robin is 19 cm (7.5 in) long, including the long tail, which is usually held cocked upright when hopping on the ground. It is similar in shape to the smaller European robin, but is longer-tailed. The male has black upperparts, head, and throat apart from a white shoulder patch. The underparts and the sides of the long tail are white. Females are greyish black above and greyish white. Young birds have scaly brown upperparts and heads.

Oriental magpie-robins are resident breeders in tropical southern Asia from Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and eastern Pakistan, eastern Indonesia, Thailand, south China, Malaysia, and Singapore. They inhabit open woodlands, mangroves, and cultivated areas often close to human habitations.

27-4-2024 KANHA, INDIA - ORANGE HEADED THRUSH (Geokichla citrina)

 

The orange-headed thrush is 205–235 milliimetres (8.1–9.25 in) long and weighs 47–60 grammes (1.7–2.1 oz). The adult male of the nominate subspecies of this small thrush has an entirely orange head and underparts, uniformly grey upperparts and wings, and white median and undertail coverts. It has a slate-coloured bill and the legs and feet have brown fronts and pink or yellowish rears.

The female resembles the male but has browner or more olive upperparts and warm brown wings, but some old females are almost identical to the male. The juvenile is dull brown with buff streaks on its back, and a rufous tone to the head and face; it has grey wings. The bill is brownish horn, and the legs and feet are brown.

This species' orange and grey plumage is very distinctive, and it is unlikely to be confused with any other species. Differences between the subspecies, as described above, can be quite striking, as with the strong head pattern on G. c. cyanota, but may be less obvious variations in plumage tone, or whether there is white on the folded wing. As with many other thrushes, all forms of this species shows a distinctive underwing pattern, with a strong white band.

The orange-headed thrush breeds in much of the Indian Subcontinent, including Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka, and through Southeast Asia to Java and southern China. Its habitat is moist broadleaved evergreen woodlands, with a medium-density undergrowth of bushes and ferns, but it also utilises bamboo forests for secondary growth. G. c. cyanota also occurs in large gardens and orchards.

This species is often found in damp areas, near streams or in shady ravines. It occurs between 250–1830 metres (825– 6040 ft) in the Himalayas and up to about 1500 metres (5000 ft) in Malaysia, Thailand and Java. G. c. aurata is resident between 1000–1630 metres (3300–5400 ft) on Mt Kinabalu and Mt Trus Madi, northern Borneo. Some of the subspecies are completely or partially migratory; their wintering habitat is similar to the breeding forests, but more likely to be at lower altitudes.

The orange-headed thrush feeds on the ground in dense undergrowth or other thick cover. It is most active at dawn and dusk, probing the leaf litter for insects and their larvae, spiders, other invertebrates and fruit. In Malaysia, wintering birds regularly feed on figs.

The nest, built by both sexes, is a wide but shallow cup of twigs, bracken and rootlets lined with softer plant material like leaves, moss and conifer needles. It is constructed at a height of up to 4.5 metres (15 ft) in a small tree or bush, with mango trees and coffee bushes being preferred. Three or four, occasionally five, eggs are laid; they are cream or tinted with pale blue, grey or green, and have pale lilac blotches and reddish brown spots. They are incubated for 13–14 days to hatching, with another 12 days until the young birds leave the nest.

This species is a host of the pied cuckoo, Clamator jacobinus, a brood parasite which lay a single egg in the nest. Unlike the common cuckoo, neither the hen nor the hatched chick evict the host's eggs, but the host's young often die because they cannot compete successfully with the cuckoo for food. The chestnut-winged cuckoo, Clamator coromandus, and, very rarely, the common cuckoo, Cuculus canorus have also been claimed as parasites on this species.

27-4-2024 KANHA, INDIA - TICKELL'S BLUE FLYCATCHER (Cyornis tickelliae)

Tickell's blue flycatcher (Cyornis tickelliae ) is a small passerine bird in the flycatcher family. This is an insectivorous species which breeds in tropical Asia, from the Indian Subcontinent eastwards to Bangladesh and western Myanmar. The Indochinese blue flycatcher was formerly considered conspecific. They are blue on the upperparts and the throat and breast are rufous. They are found in dense scrub to forest habitats.The name commemorates the British ornithologist Samuel Tickell who collected in India and Burma.

Tickell's blue flycatcher is about 11–12 cm long. It sits upright and forages mainly in the overgrowth. The male's upper parts are bright blue, its throat and breast are red, and the rest of the underparts are white. The female is duller blue with a brighter blue brow, shoulder, rump, and tail. It hybridizes with the pale-chinned blue flycatcher (Cyornis poliogenys ) in the Eastern Ghats of India and these hybrids have sometimes been called the subspecies vernayi. The juvenile is streaked and has a spotted mantle, scaly brown upperparts, head and breast, with just the wings and tail being blue.

They have sometimes been known to feed even after dusk. Apart from flying insects they have been noted to occasionally glean crawling insects.

The species shows regional variations in plumage and size and several of these populations have been designated with subspecies names. The nominate form is found in India, Nepal and Myanmar. The Sri Lankan population is separated as jerdoni (or nesea /mesaea said to be darker)

In the past this species has been considered as a subspecies of the blue-throated blue flycatcher (Cyornis rubeculoides ) which resembles this but has a blue throat.

27-4-2024 KANHA, INDIA - JUNGLE OWLET (Glaucidium radiatum)

The jungle owlet, or barred jungle owlet, (Glaucidium radiatum ) is found in the Indian Subcontinent. The species is often found singly, in pairs or small groups and are usually detected by their calls at dawn and dusk. There are two subspecies with the form found in the Western Ghats sometimes considered a full species.

This small owlet has a rounded head and is finely barred all over. There is no clear facial disk and the wings are brownish and the tail is narrowly barred in white. There are two subspecies, the nominate form is found in the plains of India and Sri Lanka while malabaricum of the Western Ghats is shorter tailed and shows more brown on the head. It has been suggested that this may warrant full species status.

The plumage on the upper parts is dark black brown barred with white. The wing coverts have white and rufous patches. The primaries and secondaries are dark brown and barred with pale chestnut. The lower side is whitish or pale rufous barred with black. There is a whitish patch on the chin, upper breast and centre of the abdomen. The iris is yellow, the bill and tarsi are greenish with black claws.

In Sri Lanka, chestnut-backed owlet (Glaucidium castanonotum ) was once included as a subspecies but this is elevated to full species. It is found in the wet zone whereas G. radiatum is found in drier forests.

They are found in habitats ranging from scrub forest to deciduous and moist deciduous forests. They are found south of the Himalayas and in some parts of the Himalayas up to an elevation of 2000 m. Extends from Dalhousie in the west, east to Bhutan.

This owlet is mainly active at dawn and dusk, but is known to call and fly during the daytime as well. The call is distinctive and consists of a rapid series of prao..prao.prao-prao-prao that increases and then fades in volume before ending abruptly. At their daytime roosts, they may be mobbed by drongos, treepies and sunbirds. During the day, young nestlings produce tick calls not unlike that of a pale-billed flowerpecker.

They roost inside tree cavities and when disturbed they freeze and appear like a dead tree stump. They sometimes perch prominently on wires or bask in the morning sun before retiring to their roost. They have been known to capture small Phylloscopus warblers during the day, although their peak foraging hours are an hour before sunrise and after sunset. Their diet consists of insects, small birds, reptiles, and rodents.

The breeding season in India is March to May and they nest in the hollow of a tree at a height of 3 to 5 metres. The typical clutch consists of four eggs (three eggs in malabaricum ).

27-4-2024 KANHA, INDIA - INDIAN POND HERON (Ardeola grayii)

The Indian pond heron or paddybird (Ardeola grayii ) is a small heron. It is of Old World origins, breeding in southern Iran and east to the Indian subcontinent, Burma, and Sri Lanka. They are widespread and common but can be easily missed when they stalk prey at the edge of small water-bodies or even when they roost close to human habitations. They are however distinctive when they take off with bright white wings flashing in contrast to the cryptic streaked olive and brown colours of the body. Their camouflage is so excellent that they can be approached closely before they take to flight, a behaviour which has resulted in folk names and beliefs that the birds are short-sighted or blind.

The habit of standing still and flushing only at the last moment has led to widespread folk beliefs that they are semi-blind and their name in many languages includes such suggestions. In Sri Lanka the bird is called kana koka which translates as "half-blind heron" in the Sinhala language. The Hindustani phrase "bagla bhagat" has been used to describe a "wolf in sheep's clothing" or a hypocrite appearing like a meditating saint and occurs in a Marathi proverb. The paddy-bird also appears as a character in the Hitopadesha where, in one story, it takes injury to itself to save a king. The bird was noted by Anglo-Indian naturalist-writers for the surprising transformation in colours. Phil Robinson described the bird as one that sits all dingy gray and flies all white. It is said to have been eaten by many in India in former times.

During the height of the plume trade, feathers were collected from the "paddy bird" and exported to Britain.

27-4-2024 KANHA, INDIA - WHITE THROATED KINGFISHER (Halcyon smyrnensis)

The White-throated kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) is a tree kingfisher, widely distributed in Asia. This kingfisher is a resident over much of its range and can often be found well away from water where it hunts a wide range of prey.

The adult White-throated kingfisher has a bright blue back, wings, and tail. Its head, shoulders, flanks, and lower belly are chestnut, and the throat and breast are white. The large bill and legs are bright red. The flight of the white-throated kingfisher is rapid and direct, the short rounded wings whirring. In flight, large white patches are visible on the blue and black wings. The male and the female are similar, but juveniles are a duller version of the adult.

White-throated kingfishers are found in Asia from the Sinai east through the Indian subcontinent to China and Indonesia. They are mainly resident over much of their range, although some populations may make short-distance movements. White-throated kingfishers live in a variety of habitats, mostly open country in the plains with trees, wires, or other perches; however, they have also been seen in the Himalayas. These birds also occur in tropical forests, mangrove edges, swamps, ponds, plantations, rice fields, and farmland.

White-throated kingfishers are usually seen singly or in pairs. They are active during the day spending their time foraging or perching conspicuously on wires or other exposed perches within their territory. White-throated kingfishers are watch-and-wait hunters which dive onto potential prey from a perch.

White-throated kingfishers are monogamous and form pairs. They begin breeding at the onset of the Monsoons. During this time males perch on prominent high posts in their territory and call in the early morning. The tail may be flicked now and in its courtship display the wings are stiffly flicked open for a second or two exposing the white wing mirrors. They also raise their bill high and display the white throat and front. The female in invitation makes a rapid and prolonged ‘kit-kit-kit...’ call. The nest building begins with both birds flying into a suitable mud wall until an indentation is made where they can find a perch hold. They subsequently perch and continue digging the nest with their bills. The nest is a tunnel in an earth bank. The female then lays a single clutch of 4-7 round white eggs. The eggs hatch in 20-22 days and the altricial chicks fledge in 19 days.

27-4-2024 KANHA, INDIA - BLACK RAJAH BUTTERFLY (Charaxes solon)

Charaxes solon, the black rajah, is a butterfly species found in tropical Asia. It belongs to the Charaxinae (rajahs and nawabs) in the brush-footed butterfly family (Nymphalidae).

The black rajah is a medium-sized butterfly with a 70- to 80-mm wingspan. Above, the butterfly is dark brownish black with greenish or white discal bands across both the wings. The band is broken into spots towards the apex of the fore wing. The hind wing has two similar-sized tails at veins 2 and 4. These tails are longer in the females and more pointed in the males.

Its egg is transparent yellow and spherical, with longitudinal ridges. It has a dark red, uneven band around its upper half.

The caterpillar is dark green with irregular rows of yellow tubercles. The caterpillar is cylindrical and may have a round white blotch on the seventh segment. The head is curved out and has horns and spines. The pupa is short and dark green, with a lateral longitudinal line marbled with white.

The butterfly is found in South and Southeast Asia. It occurs in Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar, Indochina, Cambodia, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, Sulawesi, and the Philippines (Palawan, Sulu Archipelago). In India, the butterfly occurs in South India, and the Himalayas from Kumaon, Sikkim, into Bhutan, through Assam, and onto Myanmar. At least in South Asia, it is not rare.

8-3-2020 KANHA, INDIA - GAUDY BARON BUTTERFLY (Euthalia lubentina)

Euthalia lubentina, the gaudy baron, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in South, Cambodia, and Southeast Asia. It was first described by Pieter Cramer in 1777.

The lower foot-hills of the Himalayas from Haridwar to Sikkim, but recorded from Mussooree, at 10,000 feet (3,000 m); Oudh; Bengal; eastward through Bhutan, Assam, Cachar to Myanmar, Teuasserim, Siam, Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. On continental India southward from Bombay.

27-4-2024 KANHA, INDIA - INDIAN FRITILLIARY BUTTERFLY (Argynnis hyperbius)

The Indian fritillary (Argynnis hyperbius) is a species of butterfly of the nymphalid or brush-footed family. It is usually found from south and southeast Asia to Australia.

The Himalayas, in the outer ranges from Campbellpur in the Punjab to Sikkim; Oudh; Agra; Manbhum in Bengal; Assam, the Khasi Hills; Upper Burma; extending to China and Taiwan; Sumatra; Java. Can also be found in southern Japan. In Australia, range restricted to northern NSW and southern Queensland.

The species was observed for the first time in the United Arab Emirates in January 2020, in Wadi Wurayah National Park, in the Hajar Mountains within the Emirate of Fujairah: a few Indian fritillaries were found flying with members of a physically similar species, the Plain tiger (Danaus chrysippus). It is thought that they came there as opportunistic migrants because of the suitable conditions created by abundant rainfall in the country since October 2019, and that they would not stay for the summer.

27-4-2024 KANHA, INDIA - CRESTED HONEY BUZZARD (Pernis ptilorhynchus)

The Crested honey buzzard appears long-necked with a small head resembling that of a pigeon. It has a long tail and a short head crest. It is brown above, but not as dark as the European honey buzzard, and paler below. A dark throat stripe is present. Unusually for a large bird of prey, the sexes can be distinguished. The male has a blue-grey head with a brown iris, while the female's head is brown and the iris is yellow. She is slightly larger and darker than the male. The male has two black bands in the tail and three black underwing bands, while the female has three black tail bands and four narrower black underwing bands. The juvenile has extensive black primary tips with narrower underwing bands. It has a yellow cere at the base of the bill, and a dark iris. The coloration and the tail pattern of the species are highly variable.

Crested honey buzzards spend summer in Siberia and Japan, and winter in tropical Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Elsewhere, these birds are more or less resident. Crested honey buzzards prefer to live in well-forested lowland and hilly areas that are broken by open glades. In South and Southeast Asia, they are sometimes found in small groves near villages.

27-4-2024 KANHA, INDIA - TAILED JAY BUTTERFLY (Graphium agamemnon)

Graphium agamemnon, the tailed jay, is a predominantly green and black tropical butterfly that belongs to the swallowtail family. The butterfly is also called the green-spotted triangle, tailed green jay, or green triangle. It is a common, non-threatened species native to Nepal, India, Sri Lanka through Southeast Asia and Australia. Several geographic races are recognized. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.

Strong and restless fliers, they are very active butterflies and flutter their wings constantly even when at flowers. They are seldom seen drinking from damp patches. The males are particularly fond of nectaring from flowers such as Lantana, Ixora, Mussaenda, and Poinsettia. The females are more likely caught when looking for food plants or laying eggs.

Tailed jays are active throughout the year but their abundance depends upon the local monsoon and availability of the larval host plants. The butterflies generally fly among the tree-tops but descend to ground level in search of flowers or host plants. Because of their relatively fast life cycle (just over one month from egg to adult), tailed jays are multivoltine and may produce up to seven or eight broods per year. It has been noted in one instance to be attracted to lights at night.

27-4-2024 KANHA, INDIA - RED WATTLED LAPWING (Vanellus indicus)

The Red-wattled lapwing (Vanellus indicus) is large wader native to Asia. Like other lapwings, they are ground birds that are incapable of perching. This bird has many local names such as titahri (Hindi), titawi (Marathi), tittibha (Kannada), tateehar (Sindhi), titodi (Gujarati), hatatut (Kashmiri), balighora (Assamese), yennappa chitawa (Telugu), aal-kaati (Tamil, meaning "human indicator").

Red-wattled lapwings are large birds. Their wings and back are light brown with a purple to green sheen, but the head, a bib on the front, and the back of the neck are black. Prominently white patch runs between these two colors, from the belly and tail, flanking the neck to the sides of the crown. The short tail is tipped black. A red fleshy wattle in front of each eye, a black-tipped red bill, and long legs are yellow. In flight, prominent white wing bars formed by the white on the secondary coverts. Males and females are similar in plumage but males have a slightly longer wing and tend to have a longer carpal spur.

27-4-2024 KANHA, INDIA - INDIAN BISON (Bos gaurus)

The gaur (Bos gaurus) is a bovine native to South and Southeast Asia. It is the largest species among the wild cattle and the Bovidae. In Malaysia, this adorable giant is called seladang, and pyaung in Myanmar.

Being one of the largest cattle species, the gaur has a massive head, deep body, and solid limbs. The color of their body varies from reddish or brown to black while the limbs are pale colored. Both males and females have upwardly curved horns, growing from the sides of their heads. Their horns have a yellow base and black tip. These animals have a hump on their shoulders, which is especially prominent in adult males. In addition, they have a distinct "dewlap" of skin, stretching from their throat to their forelegs.

Gaurs are found throughout mainland South and Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Myanmar, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, and Nepal. These animals don’t migrate and live in evergreen forests or semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests and also occur in deciduous forest areas at the periphery of their range. Gaur prefer large, relatively undisturbed forest tracts, hilly terrain, availability of water, and an abundance of forage in the form of grasses, bamboo, shrubs, and trees.

Generally, gaur are most active in the morning and evening. However, they can be active by day or even become nocturnal, when living nearby human settlements. These sociable animals gather into herds, containing 8-11 or more individuals. A gaur herd includes females and one dominant male. The home range of each herd covers about 78 sq. kilometers (30 sq. miles) territory. Bulls often congregate into bachelor herds while older males occasionally prefer living solitarily. Against a threat, the bull usually lowers its head and hind side, attacking the rival from the broadside with its horns. When alarmed, these animals give out a call known as a "whistling snort".

Gaur have a polygynous mating system, where one male mates with a number of females. During the mating season, males give out calls of clear resonant tones, in order to attract receptive females. Meanwhile, bigger males are more successful in capturing the attention of females. They breed all year round with a peak period, lasting from December to June. Female Gaurs usually have an interval of 12-15 months between births. The gestation period lasts about 270-280 days, yielding a single baby. A newborn gaur calf weighs 23 kgs (50 Ibs) on average. At the age of 9 months, the calf is weaned and becomes reproductively mature when it is 2-3 years old.

One of the most considerable threats is the loss of habitat throughout most of their range. Another serious concern is susceptibility to domestic cattle diseases like rinderpest, hoof, or mouth disease. In addition, this animal attracts hunters for its horns and is hunted for sport.

According to the IUCN Red List, the total gaur population varies from 15,000 to 35,000 individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are decreasing.

Living in humid and dry deciduous forests of India, gaur play a crucial role in the ecosystem of their habitat: they greatly impact the physical structure of the area, and control plant communities as well as processes of the ecosystem. 

27-4-2024 KANHA, INDIA - RED JUNGLEFOWL (MALE) (Gallus gallus)

The red junglefowl (Gallus gallus) is a tropical bird in the family Phasianidae. It ranges across much of Southeast Asia and parts of South Asia. It was formerly known as the bankiva or bankiva fowl. It is the species that gave rise to the chicken (Gallus domesticus); the grey junglefowl, Sri Lankan junglefowl, and green junglefowl have also contributed genetic material to the gene pool of the chicken.

Evidence from the molecular level derived from whole-genome sequencing revealed that the chicken was domesticated from red junglefowl about 8,000 years ago, with this domestication event involving multiple maternal origins. Since then, their domestic form has spread around the world where they are kept by humans for their meat, eggs, and companionship.

27-4-2024 KANHA, INDIA - PADDYFIELD PIPIT (Anthus rufulus)

This is a large pipit at 15 cm, but is otherwise an undistinguished looking bird, mainly streaked grey-brown above and pale below with breast streaking. It is long legged with a long tail and a long dark bill. Sexes are similar. Summer and winter plumages are similar. Young birds are more richly coloured below than adults and have the pale edges to the feathers of the upper parts more conspicuous with more prominent spotting on the breast. The population waitei from north-western India and Pakistan is pale while the population malayensis from the Western Ghats is larger, darker and more heavily streaked with the nominate rufulus intermediate.

In winter some care must be taken to distinguish this from other pipits that winter in the area, such as Richard's pipit, Anthus richardi and Blyth's pipit, Anthus godlewskii. The paddyfield pipit is smaller and dumpier, has a shorter looking tail and has weaker fluttering flight. The usually uttered characteristic chip-chip-chip call is quite different from usual calls of Richard's pipit (an explosive shreep ) and Blyth's pipit (a nasal pschreen ). The tawny pipit has less streaking on the mantle and has a black loreal stripe and a longer tail. The Western Ghats population can appear very similar to the Nilgiri pipit.

27-4-2024 KANHA, INDIA - MALABAR PIED HORNBILL (Anthracoceros coronatus

The Malabar pied hornbill (Anthracoceros coronatus ), also known as lesser pied hornbill, is a bird in the hornbill family, a family of tropical near-passerine birds found in the Old World.

The Malabar pied hornbill is a large hornbill, at 65 cm (26 in) in length. It has mainly black plumage, apart from its white belly, throat patch, tail sides and trailing edge to the wings. The bill is yellow with a large, mainly black casque. Females have white orbital skin, which the males lack. Juveniles have no casque. It might be confused with the oriental pied hornbill.

The Malabar pied hornbill is a common resident breeder in India and Sri Lanka. Its habitat is evergreen and moist deciduous forests, often near human settlements. It is distributed across three main regions within the Indian sub-continent: Central and Eastern India, along the Western Ghats, and in Sri Lanka. In Central and Eastern India, it ranges from western West Bengal through parts of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, northern and eastern Maharashtra, northern Andhra Pradesh, and north-east tip of Telangana. Along the Western Ghats, the species is distributed in pockets along the eastern slopes and in the Konkan belt and west coast from western Maharashtra through Goa, western Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and in Kerala. In Sri Lanka, the species occurs mainly in the low country and dry zone forests as well as home gardens.

30-4-2024 CASTELLDEFELS, BARCELONA - EUROPEAN RABBIT (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

The European rabbit is smaller than the European hare and Mountain hare and lacks black ear tips, as well as having proportionately shorter legs. The fur of the European rabbit is generally greyish-brown, but this is subject to much variation. The guard hairs are banded brown and black, or grey, while the nape of the neck and scrotum are reddish. The chest patch is brown, while the rest of the underparts are white or grey. A white star shape is often present on kits' foreheads but rarely occurs in adults. The whiskers are long and black, and the feet are fully furred and buff-coloured. The tail has a white underside, which becomes prominent when escaping danger. This may act as a signal for other rabbits to run. Moulting occurs once a year, beginning in March on the face and spreading over the back. The underfur is completely replaced by October-November. The European rabbit exhibits great variation in colour, from light sandy to dark grey and completely black. Such variation depends largely on the amount of guard hairs relative to regular pelage.

European rabbits are found in southwestern Europe (including Portugal, Spain, and western France) and in northwest Africa (including Morocco and Algeria). Their ideal habitat consists of short grasslands with secure refuge (such as burrows, boulders, hedgerows, scrub, and woodland) near feeding areas. In large coniferous plantations, European rabbits only occur in peripheral areas and along fire breaks and rides.

European rabbits are herbivores (graminivores) and coprophages. They eat a wide variety of herbage, especially grasses, favoring the young, succulent leaves and shoots of the most nutritious species. Hungry rabbits in winter may eat tree bark and blackberries. Like other leporids, European rabbits also consume their own fecal pellets, which are filled with protein-rich bacteria.

European rabbits exhibit an interesting mating system; dominant bucks are polygynous, whereas lower-status individuals (both bucks and does) often form monogamous pairs. Rabbits signal their readiness to mate by marking other animals and inanimate objects with an odoriferous substance secreted through a chin gland; this process is known as "chinning". The breeding season usually takes place from January to August. Does give birth to 3-7 kittens after the gestation period of 30 days. Shortly before giving birth, the doe will construct a separate burrow known as a "stop" or "stab", generally in an open field away from the main warren. These breeding burrows are typically a few feet long and are lined with grass and moss as well as fur plucked from the doe's belly. The breeding burrow protects the kittens from adult bucks as well as from predators. Kittens are altricial, being born blind, deaf, and furless, and they are totally dependent upon their mother. The young born to the dominant buck and doe enjoy better nesting and feeding grounds; they tend to grow larger and stronger and become more dominant than kittens born to subordinate rabbits. Does nurse their kittens once a night, for only a few minutes. After suckling is complete, the doe seals the entrance to the stop with soil and vegetation. The kittens grow rapidly and their eyes open 11 days after birth. The ears do not gain the power of motion until 10 days of age and can be erected after 13. At 18 days, the kittens begin to leave the burrow and at 4 weeks they are weaned. Young bucks become reproductively mature at four months of age, while does can begin to breed at three to five months.